XCOM: Xenos Excommunicamus
by Le Dark Wolf
Summary: In the 1930s a German Expedition to Antarctica uncovers an unknown submerged space craft incased in solid ice. Initial tests indicate that the craft is some many millennia old. Alarmed at this discovery, the nations of Earth eventually form the XCOM Project. Their aim: to prepare for the inevitable contact with life beyond Earth. [A reimaging of Terror from the Deep with a twist!]
1. Act 0: We are (NOT) alone

**XCOM: Xenos Excommunicamus**

In 1939 a German expedition to Antarctica uncovered the frozen remains of an unidentified extraterrestrial vessel. This resulted in a revolution of military affairs during the course of the Second World War. Nonetheless the German military felled and the secrets of the Antarctic expedition were divided between the East and West. Despite the onset of the Cold War, powerbrokers from both the West and the Soviet Bloc formed the Xenos Excommunicamus Project. The aim was to study the possibility of and to prepare for a war that would inevitably arrive from beyond the Sol System.

_Opening Act: We are (Not) alone_

[August 14th 2021][08:00 Zulu][East China Seas]  
/The Iron Tail Skirmish

There had been a flash of lightning followed by what could only be described as a shrieking elephant dying. It was soon followed with a burst of explosive which had cut his wingman's fighter craft into half. Lieutenant Commander Wei Zhu barely muffled an escape of shock within his pressurized cockpit. Despite being supposedly dampened of sound within his Chengdu J-10 multirole combat aircraft with the engine roaring and what not, this fighter pilot of the People's Republic could feel his ear literally bleeding. Zhu had flown into the area of operations with four others as a part of the 108th Tactical Squadron of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the Iron Tail. He had thought it to be a routine interception mission of a stray American surveillance craft. It had turned out to be something much more…

It maneuvered through the heavens not so much in terms of flight, but as so in terms of 'phasing'. The unknown contact materialized to the side of Zhu, causing him to bank away with his J-10 almost on instinct. As the g-forces grappled onto the human pilot's thin frame, the Chinese man caught a slight glimpse of the enemy he had been facing. Three times larger than a conventional fighter, asymmetrical circular, vaguely shaped like a cuttlefish, and decked with what must have been camouflage that seemed organic to the touch, this was a foe without humanity.

Yet, despite this, the unknown enemy wasn't so much as fast as it was impossible to lock on. At beyond visual range, the Lieutenant Commander had dispatched his PL-12 air to air missiles. None of them scored a hit; despite the missiles themselves actually appearing faster on Zhu's reading displays. Furthermore, though the fishlike craft flew oddly, it moved in one singular direction and would only attack once behind its chosen prey. This was exactly what was transpiring at that very moment.

Zhu clenched his teeth.

The J-10 fighter quickly deployed its air breaks which had been followed on by an engineless vertical climb. This maneuver which would have been much more easily performed by a Su-27 air superiority fighter tore bits of titanium off the human craft. The Lieutenant Commander now deeply regretted having his 'old' Flanker replaced. It took a hair-raising second for the pilot to reestablish control over his airplane again. But by the time this happened, Zhu found himself positioned behind the inhuman vessel. Almost immediately streams of 23mm rounds were unleashed by his twin barrel cannon.

Oversized ammunition casings were spent flying into the clouds dancing about like dying ballerinas as round after round of airplane killing depleted uranium slugs were smashed into the mysterious flyer. It was to no avail as Zhu could not confirm any damage done visually. As far as readings on his displays were concerned, the enemy had appeared unmolested. Now there was no choice.

He sped forward, firing the afterburners. Metal screamed as sweat begun pouring into Zhu's eyes. 'The bastard' he thought. There would be no escape from the Lieutenant Commander. Before his very pupils his own fighter craft was tearing itself apart, going far faster than sound like a crewed cruise missile. One of the forward fins broke off. He pushed his J-10 beyond deemed operational limits. Warnings had become red. He was losing control. There was still fear. He overshadowed it with a resolved hatred.

It was a hatred that led to a sky breaking collision.

=[X]=

[2015][Six Years Ago…]  
/Level One Ruins

One would most definitely agree. It was impressive. There were rotting flags from the Third Reich still being hung. They had made a mess of everything. Nobody must have stepped foot into this part of the chamber for a very long time. Decayed and mummified bodies of darkly clad soldiers had been laid like bad Halloween decorations everywhere. Their overseers were preserved non-human things floating about liquid tanks. The creatures were a strange mix of beings. There were gray naked creatures with large almond-like eyes. One had been a gigantic insect of sorts with many legs. It was a man-shaped lizard thing dressed like a thin man that was the strangest. All of them were now colored green. They had been dead for a much longer time than the Germans.

"I wonder if the Russians got to them."

Doctor Shen might find out eventually, but that's not why he had been attached to the excavation team.

"This way Shen, the radioactive readings are from this direction."

It came from a Germanic woman. Doctor Shen has already forgotten her name. The team had been assembled under extremely auspicious circumstances.

"The Nazis must have made extensive modifications to this place."

They were in front of a vault of sorts. Unlike the rest of the underground vessel, this door was completely different. It was not a mixture of incredibly redundant technologies marred with tribal worship of an unknown Emperor like everything else. This vault door was marked by German words and was manufactured in Berlin. This was a door that could be opened.

"Get ready the explosives."

Shen remained silent.

"Get ready your technicians and detonate this door."

The Germanic woman was becoming obnoxious.

"Your people…."

"Nein!"

She cut him off.

"They are not MY people, Shen."

"Excuse me, I mean the Nazis…. they hid something in here. If they made use of the weapons in the past, and they didn't play with this thing, there must be a reason for it."

She was not amused.

"Shen, the signal is coming from this chamber. We are under orders from the Council. Need I remind you of our duties?"

The Engineer thought briefly of his grandson in France.

"Very well…. "

He turns to a fellow technician.

"Jackson, send for the detonations from the surface."

=[X]=

[August 26th 2021][22:00 Zulu][Hollywood, California]  
/Search and Rescue Operation: Hotel Roosevelt

The impact of water stung his face and threatened to rupture his lungs. Everything had been a blur. The last thing he remembered was a survivor falling off of the AH-6X light unmanned helicopter drone. It had been quite a fall as the European-looking victim and his oversized jeans had crashed into a Jaguar F-Type convertible parked in the lot of Hotel Roosevelt. And then he slipped, alongside his fireteam, and that elegantly dressed lady in black they had found earlier. This was not a rescue mission that was going well.

-Splash!

Specialist Rick J. Steinberg pulled himself from a pool. Overturned and overused luxury couches and poolside beds were littered all around him. Besides the random screams of panicking civilians, followed by gunfire, and… unrecognizable noises… Rick was all alone. Coughing out a stream of pool water, the American soldier proceeds to reorient himself. A quick glance around told him that he didn't leave the evacuation site.

"Goddamn it."

He and the soldiers that had been under his command had been a part of a larger National Guard effort in relieving the emergency crisis that was afflicting the Greater Los Angeles area. They were supposed to round up surviving civilians and to get them to safety. Due to various circumstances, their extraction had been an unmanned drone designed to insert Special Forces units. Not that he knew what exactly that emergency crisis was, short of an Alien Invasion. Thus far those things that he had encountered… they were like something out of a bad 1990s video game. Creatures that resembled aquatic creatures trapped behind a pressurized suit with direct energy weapons.

Retrieving his XM8 configured with a grenade launcher, Specialist Steinberg made his way into the hotel, completely relieved that his wet weapon had not been an older less efficient rifle. A quick climb through a flight of stairs led him to an overly decorated lobby with 50s décor and a collapsed Italian restaurant. This time, the Specialist was not alone. A pair of Xeno creatures had instantly turned about at Steinberg's arrival. They had been half the size of a full grown man, with beady crimson eyes hidden behind an atmospheric body covering suit. Not even giving the American soldier a chance to get a drop on them, they took cover.

Steinberg rushed behind an overturned bronze couch as a beam of sizzling blue light crisscrossed into the air besides him. One of the creatures had taken refuge behind a faux-marble pillar. Peering besides the couch, the Specialist takes aim and unleashed a controlled burst of fire at the pillar. Shell casings were sprinkled onto the polished checkerboard etched floor as the targeted creature had been hit. It didn't scream so much as imploded alongside the cracked pillar in a magnificent display of green goo and foul smelling organs. Though thrilled at the kill, the one creature now began to flank the Specialist.

There was no way the American could have adjusted before the thing was upon him. And it was, the unknown creature had been tenacious and driven. Before Steinberg could have even show frustration at the circumstances on his face, the little Xeno creature had taken a wild shot at the Specialist. And it went off course wildly, all but giving a light burn on the man's face while pulverizing a golden elevator door behind him. Steinberg's assault rifle went up, and the XM8's grenade launcher trigger was pulled.

=[X]=

Hollywood Boulevard was under enemy occupation. Wrecked cars had been set up as barricades by human defenders were essentially grinded into dust by floating saucer like vehicles. The little suited creatures that Steinberg had been fighting all night were busy sipping through the remains. Large grey-metallic capsules, stacked like Legos were collected in the middle of the street. Each had a window like clothing dryer with outer space, and each had the face of a man or woman in mid scream… and was one… extremely recognizable… it was Private Tsai, Ken the K-Man. His body obviously mangled from the fall. What did these things want from the dead? And how did they move so fast?

Steinberg examined all from this from the safety of cover. He had hidden behind an overturned M1A2 Main Battle Tank that somehow got lodged into the Hollywood and Highland shopping mall. His wet headset was still buzzing, but the radio that was strapped into one of the pouches of the combat vest the Specialist had on was turned off. It was stilling working. Though military radios were designed to survive the end of the world, he wasn't about to break radio silence in the fear of giving his position away.

Rick had to get evacuated.

The next fall back point for evacuation was located in Silverlake. Somehow, he had to get himself out of this FUBAR mess. Though originally from the East Coast, he had hoped to make it big as a writer in Los Angeles. Things however have a way of never going according to plan. It would be a shame to die in Hollywood of all places without actually breaking into the scene. As such, death was the last thing on Steinberg's mind.

As he broke away from cover to make his next move, something screamed a phase of gibberish towards his direction. It was followed by what would be likely described as an enemy foot patrol closing rapidly onto the Specialist's position.

[August 29th 2021][Unknown][Unknown]  
/Inauguration Day

There was no one in the room. All that had and could be visible to the naked eye were five monolithic silhouettes. One by one, they had turned on. Each represented by a flag and a label that read AUDIO ONLY. In the middle of all of this was the screen of a bald man, his face perpetually covered by darkness as if censored by means beyond understanding. No identifiable flag had been brandished on him. Instead, a singular insignia from a military patch of the planet Earth crossed and watched over by a solid 'x' with the words ' VIGILO-CONFIDO' had been displayed.

It is he that begins the meeting.

"Welcome, fellow Council Men. In light of the recent extraterrestrial incursion, we are convening to approve of the reactivation of the XCOM Project."

[End of Transmission]


	2. Act 1: With(OUT) Means of

[November 9th 2021][14:00 Zulu][St. Petersburg, Russia]  
/Operation Morbid Stranger

A violent shudder overtook the passenger's compartment space, indicating the shifting of VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) engines that were in the process of being adjusted for a landing. Crimson lights were flashed on and the cargo doors to the X-131 'Skyranger' supersonic troop transport began to mechanically open up. A deployment hatch was dropped, and the burning skylines of St. Petersburg came into view. At once, the smell of sulfur marred with the stench of burned flesh begun its assault of the arriving passengers.

_First Act: With(OUT) Means of_

"Central, this is Big Sky, over. Second strike team in position… prosecuting mission."

=[X]=

"What do you MEAN we're soldiering on?"

If looks could kill, the expression on Captain Amy Robinson's face would have been enough to halt a suicide attack from a legion of religious radicals. The woman was a complete mess. Gore was splattered onto her solid tallow tanned carrier plate. What had not been muddled by wet dirt was shredded in other places. Some utility and ammunition pouches that were modularly attached were either ripped open or outright gone. Her battle dress uniform had seen better days.

"Our surveillance equipment indicates that the enemy is regrouping five blocks west. They need to be rooted out."

Amy's military handlers with Her Majesty's Service had been full of bullocks. She couldn't believe there could have been worst. There was not even a shred of understanding nor care in his voice, just the calm robotic voice of a man relaying orders from someone at the top. Central Officer Bradford really was good at his job.

"I say again Central, Werewolf is critically wounded and we need extraction. NOW!"

An extensively modified Swiss SIG-550 assault rifle was clenched to her chest. Had Bradford been within a heartbeat of the Captain at that moment, she would have brutally beaten him to death with it. For now she bore her teeth and glanced frantically at her surviving team. Exhausted, darkly circled, red induced and eternally numbed eyes returned the greeting.

"Negative on that extraction Stalker."

They were designated as Team Foxtrot. Captain Amy Robinson 'Stalker' was lead. Her next in line had been 'Werewolf' from South America. The poor sap, now missing a leg, was now queued towards the great beyond. Werewolf had been the medic of the group. Eight klicks into the mission an ambush had cut him down. Sergeant Yuri Solovyov 'Android' endeavored to patch the dying man up, to help stabilize his situation. It was a moot point, as without proper medical care, Werewolf was a goner. A similar fate had been awaiting everyone. Dieter Hahn 'Prophet' had likely excreted his pants. There was the light smell of something humanly foul in the air. Squaddie An Zhao 'Spitfire' would never return to duty normally, if at all with that bleeding bandage wrapped around her head.

"He'll DIE!"

No moment of silence could not be spared at this time.

"Foxtrot, mission objective as followed: proceed to the Sennaya Shopping Center. Dispatch the remaining Xeno Targets. Hold objective until units from the Russian military are able to relieve you. If you do not follow your orders, we will have you shot for dissertation…. Do you understand?"

Her crystal blue eyes dilated from distress.

"You cannot be serious!"

A throat was cleared.

"This is XCOM command. You have your orders-OUT."

Robinson ripped the communication headset off her head and smashed it against the wall, breaking the military grade hardware into small fragments of light plastic, circuitry, and pulled wires.

=[X]=

Officially, the deepest artificial breech into the Earth is the Kola Superdeep Borehole located in northwestern Russia. Inside the central hole that was dug out for scientific research are a number of branching boreholes. The deepest of which reached some 12,262 meters underground. Unofficially the deepest artificial breach into the Earth belonged to 'Europe Base' that was easily twice as deep. The underground facility had been under construction since the early 1940s and housed a number of interesting artifacts. It is also home to the XCOM Project.

=[X]=

[November 10th 2021][08:00 Local Time][Europe Base]  
/Level One Access

Doctor Vahlen had been making her way towards the labs when she paused at the junction that had access to the heavy cargo lift. There was a group of new arrivals, most certainly destined for the barracks. Many sported buzz cuts, while others stood implacably at attention, still most of them were lively chatting amongst themselves. Excitement and wonderment electrocuted the air amongst these new arrivals.

The woman with the Teutonic accent held back with an artificial smile. Her bright attractive beaming features ran counter to a grim dark message which lingered still near her beating heart.

"New recruits."

There had been a technician worker moving a crate. He had placed it down to have a good look at the rookies. Everyone on the base knew that their mortality rates were absurdly slow. This was especially true for the doctor whom many a-times would be responsible for the autopsies of their own afterwards. It was a dreadful war waged on a scientific level against a foe that had prompt a measure of artificial selection. Combat would weed out the weak, and those that survived… well, maybe they would help win the war.

"Yes, new recruits."

"It's a shame. How long do you think they'll last?"

"Hard to say. But many names have been added to the memorial wall since we've begun. And it's only been months."

The technician remained silent. Perhaps he wanted to say something encouraging, or perhaps even something damning. It was human to interact with one another in the festivities of emotional states given dire circumstances. He had nothing for the Germanic Doctor though. Awkwardly picking up a supply crate of weapons, the worker returns to his task at hand.

Hydraulics began to hiss into place and interlocking bracing mechanism collided into one another to stabilize the humongous lift. Gears to the elevator platform begin to wind up and the enforced safety barrier releases itself. They had not only brought new personnel from the surface, but supplies, and new equipment too.

One of the rookies, a scarred American obviously charmed by Vahlen's lovely aesthetics waves a greeting towards her direction. The xenobiologist turns about to leave.

=[X]=

[November 10th 2021][17:30 Zulu][St. Petersburg, Russia]  
/Operation Morbid Stranger: Objective Sennaya Shopping Center

Rain splashed upon the dying neon-colored Cyrillic electronic signs as thunder hammered about beyond the faded yellow concrete walls. There had been bodies everyone. Some were clothed in military fatigues, cold hands clutching black Kalashnikov rifles. Others were civilian in nature, holding on without dear life to similarly fated loved ones. A singular combat boot could be heard softly crunching onto a discarded Barbie doll.

"They're in here. I know it."

Stalker brandished her assault rifle forward. Her team followed suit quietly through a plasma decorated corridor. Android covered her flank with a shotgun, followed by Prophet, whom still shaken was still ready with the light machine gun. Spitfire brought up the rear. The eerily beautiful oriental girl supremely concentrated on not letting the Xeno creatures get them jump on them. As for Werewolf…. it was best for Robinson to seek a shrink about that later.

"What do you think they were doing here?"

Solovyov the 'Android' got his nickname from the way he spoke English. It hurt the Captain's ears.

"You saw the abandoned hauls in the lobby…. The bloody bastards are extracting… much like us."

When they had initially breached the shopping center, remnants of Russian security forces had been attempting to turn the tide of battle against the Xenos. At that time, there were survivors. Foxtrot Unit attempted to break the Xeno encampment by flanking the engaged enemy. Human arms unfortunately were not suited to the current battlefield condition. There had been Green gilled man-like creatures that absorbed rounds designed to maim people, hulking lizard-like monstrosities that bit into flesh if they had gotten too close…. worst of all, this floating brain like thing that tore at one's very soul.

"We need to kill them all. We need to kill them all before they escape."

Stalker's unit had fought hard, but it was not enough. The pincer assault had pinned the creatures, but didn't slow them. The Xeno creatures broke through the defending Russians and began massacring the fleeing survivors and civilians. Robinson made a difficult decision. Using the assaulted humans as bait, the order to use high-explosive grenades had been issued. Foxtrot had lobbed frag after frag, concentrating on an enemy which had been more ruthless than them. No discrimination was given in this battle. Inhuman noises were muffled alongside shrieking screams of shock and horror from man and woman alike.

Still, the enemy had somehow survived.

Through toyshops they pursued.

Between pitched battles where gun and energy fire were exchanged.

Amongst strangely stacked metallic crates which housed mid-screaming humans this dance continued.

Now, Foxtrot was closing in on them.

"Stack up!"

The order came from Captain Robinson as the unit found themselves face to face with an exit with a flight of stairs to the roof. Spitfire slid to the right of the door, while Android appeared at its left, Prophet coming up behind the Asiatic woman. Stalker reached for a flash bang or some sort of explosive to help in the breach. Her MOLLE pounces came up empty, save a spare loaded magazine and a bayonet.

"Fuck it, we'll do it live…"

She muttered, her team nodding grimly in agreement.

Charging the bayonet, taking a step back, the team leader of Foxtrot charged forward with a solid kick. The poorly built half-plastic and recycled wood instantly came off its frame as the rest of the team charged in. A solid ray of flickering blue light flew directly into Prophet, instantly cutting the man in half. Through crimson entrails unfolding from a bisected human being, Spitfire knocks a small ambushing creature with angry red eyes residing within a body suit to the ground. The creature flailed about, having s screeched this way and that, until Android curb stomps it through the thing's helmet.

Proceeding with the mission, the team continues their advance. The telltale sign of exotic abandoned crates and spent irregular equipment led a trail towards the roof top.

Bayoneting yet another beady eyed ambusher, the remains of Foxtrot are quickly greeted by a committee of Xenos unleashing direct energy weapons upon them. They quickly take refuge behind a huge ventilation fan that offers little protection as it begins to be shred apart from incoming barrages from the enemy. One of the shots punches through the make shift cover, and sends Android to the man's knees as he screams in pain.

Metal screeched, a man screamed, and then-

Something appeared over them. An organic vessel which looked like a giant fish de-cloaked itself. A smell of jet fuel assaults everyone's senses. There was a warhead that appeared. Windows are shattered. A cluster of missiles smashed into the alien craft. The rooftop floor gives way. As if it was alive, the flying behemoth's strange camouflage begins to bleed.

With a whimper, the world goes dark.

=[X]=

[November 12th 2021][19:20 Local Time][Europe Base]  
/Situation Room

"Standby Commander, you have an incoming transmission."

Central Officer Bradford straightens himself besides a railing. The communications team residing near the holographic situation globe follows likewise. Spinning slowly, the artificial projection of the planet displays a world in conflict. Marked zones within the continental United States seem to be occupied by an off-world forced determined to stifle indigenous resistance. Incursion areas leave hundreds of thousands dead. Worst still had been the countries completely cut off, silenced saved for whispers of unverified horrors. Somewhere on there was also a Skyranger returning home.

Alone, buried between folded hands, the Commander of XCOM continues his mute observation above.

A balding albino man with the eyes of a wolf appears on screen. He begins to speak in heavily accented English.

"Your team has performed admirably. I will inform the Council of your success in this joint mission. Unfortunately, some collateral damage has occurred. We are pleased enough to send some of our provisions your way."

The Commander sighs.

"I know this may not seem like much. But this ongoing situation requires most of our immediate resources. I hope you understand."

It was not a moment of dialog.

"I see. Keep up the good work. Do svidaniya."

[End of Transmission]


End file.
